The two arms are joined by a "yoke cable," an upside-down V through one arm of which the primary brake cable runs. There is no hard and fast rule about stripping a bike, but you could apply the following rules: If you are unsure whether something should be stripped, ASK! These are the newer technology and are easier to work with. As for a road bike, you will find a quick-release lever on the front brake. The components that we strip go into the digging stream so that people can use them to build up other bikes. The headset refers to the various rings, cups and races that hold the fork to the frame. Waste cables can go in the metal recycling. The key is time. A visual inspection is a good place to start. 1. Unscrew the handle from the drum and thread the drum into the end of the crank. However, road bike frame sizes are always given in centimeters. As for all the accessories, remember to put them in one place should you want to include them in the package. "Pop top" stems have a face plate that is attached to the end of the stem with two bolts. There are other great instructables on how to paint your bike so I'll leave it for someone else … physically laid down in the frame giving a lower centre of gravity. Inspect the bottom bracket. But for some riders, stretching a sportbike has a purpose beyond looks. I let it hang for 2 days. Now, this is how to disassemble a bike: Step 1 – Remove all the accessories that stick out from the bike using the Allen wrenches. If you are going to travel via plane and want to bring your bike, it is better to have it shipped in a box. Remove any plastic ports from the frame then remove the cable outers and cable ends from the open end of the cable. While it's great to have the latest and greatest tech, an 'old' bike isn't necessarily a bad one. Once the entire decal has been applied, go over it once more, pressing it down to make sure it is completely adhered to the frame. Pedals simply need to be unscrewed. 2. The ammonia has to seep down … This length, in inches or centimeters, is the bike's "size." Bikes are made of components, like brakes; components are made of parts, like levers and bolts. Cone wrenches, which are thinner and have smaller handles, will fit a pedal bolt, but they are not strong enough to loosen stuck-on pedals without breaking. chemicals are a mess and sanding is just a pain in the ass lol. Unscrew the pivot bolts holding the brake arms onto the frame bosses and then slide the arms off. Going on a biking adventure overseas? Place the bottom bracket in the appropriate bin. Once the bars are removed, screw the face plate back on so it won't get lost, and then proceed to strip the handlebars and remove the stem. Usable components are left on the frame and are thus lost when the frame is recycled. If you are not sure which tool to use, ask. Loosen any brakes or shifters and slide them toward the center of the bar, then slide a flathead screwdriver into the top of the grip. For decades, the standard high-quality bike frame was made of Reynolds 531 tubing. Those would be the bike rack, water bottle holder, and lights. Are the nipples in good shape (i.e., not stripped or excessively corroded)? Learning which tools to use when is a basic part of becoming a skilled bike mechanic. The most common signs of a worn-out cassette or freewheel are gear teeth that have become worn down on their rear edges, so that they don't look symmetric anymore, and widespread rust. Most bikes have up to four cables that each run through one or more lengths of housing: one for each brake and one for each shifter. There are two methods of connecting handlebars to stems: Stems should be placed in the appropriate bins. Does the tube has a big tear or blow out? I tried using a sander and it left really annoying scratch marks on the frame. As always, reattach the stem bolts so they are not separated from the stem. → Such components, but probably not the entire bike, should be stripped. (Ask a mechanic for advice if you are not sure about your diagnosis.) Wipe Down the Frame . Unscrew each pivot bolt. If they are reusable then zip-tie the pair together and put them in the appropriate bin. Press and hold the MODE button on the display remote for about 2 seconds until the LCD display turns off. The first step in preparation is to strip a frame of all components -- already done for this frame before I brazed it together. Step 3: Use the plastic or steel scrub pad to scrub the baking soda paste off the bike frame. Few things look worse than rust on your bike, but rusty parts don't need to be thrown out. Tape a piece of card stock of the right color for its size (there is a chart on the wall below the hanging wheels) and then hang it with wheels of the same size. Also measure from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube. The skewer or screwdriver lets you turn the crank without having the chain scrape the frame. Note that there are a variety of such tools, though they are more standardized than the wrenches for three-piece bottom brackets. Take the spindle bolts off of the ends of the spindle. Attach any loose parts to the brakes with electrical tape, zip-tie the two brakes together and put them in the bin. The pedals are usually labeled R or L to indicate which one should be used for right and left. Headsets have many parts (at least five) that should stay together, because these parts cannot necessarily be swapped between headsets. Seatpost. Bunny Hop also does custom bike wraps, so the only limit is your imagination. 4 Sand the frame of the bike so the new coat of paint is able to stick. Zip-tie together the pedals and put them in the appropriate storage bin. This includes any cables to be recycled. Because they use separate arms, a complete front-and-rear set of V-brakes will have four pieces. We address each in turn. Slide the brake off of the bike and thread the inside nuts back onto the brake. According to some frame builders, this is the key step to not harming the integrity of the frame when adding braze-ons. You may deflate both the tires if necessary. Most donated bikes have cotterless cranks. 2. most chains are looped through the frame seat/chain stay. Stretching a bike's frame dramatically affects the way it's ridden. having Screamer's bike … A rusty bike can turn an enjoyable ride into a bumpy mess or ruin your bike's overall shine. If you have already removed the cables, housing and wheels then removing the brakes is simple. The two main varieties of cranks are cottered and cotterless. Mechanics with several years experience are still known to pick up a tool and ask, "What's this for?" Do not close it yet unless you can see that every part is secured. Multiply this by 2.54, which 56.5 cm. Zip-tie all four pieces of the brakes together and put them in the bin. Note that there are a variety of different bottom-bracket cup designs and a variety of wrenches to match them. For all of these reasons, unless we are recycling a frame, the headset should stay on the bike. If the bars have grips on the end, remove them using a screwdriver and some WD-40 or similar lubricant. Tape can usually just be peeled off. Stand the bike up or put it in your repair stand and remove the wheels. A stretched bike looks a lot different from its factory design, and the look is popular in the aftermarket motorcycle community. The disassembly procedure isn't the same for all bed frames, but a few general principles apply to all of them. Multiply the number of inches by 2.54 to find the length in centimeters. There may be a strap you tighten down on the frame to secure it in, or there may be a clamp that you push down and then lock in place. Once the cotter pins have been removed, the cranks can be slid off of the spindle. Failure may also be the result of a crash, causing the tubing joints to yield and begin failing. The crank puller has a cylindrical drum into which the handle screws. ), Check all of the ball-bearing races for pitting. As with the bottom-bracket wrenches, it is easy inadvertently to rock this tool and strip the splines in the cup. Once you have the brake removed, firmly attach them to the body of the brake with electrical tape. Disassemble your bike until you’re left with just the frame. The structural carbon is unidirectional sheets being manipulated and laid in certain ways to create the desired shape/ride quality. Depending on the condition of the bike that you are stripping, you may also skip some steps. One of the best places to look up such vocabulary on-line is Sheldon Brown's Glossary of Bicycle Terms. Let the paste mixture sit on the frame for about 10 to 15 minutes. Seatpost. Mudguard clearances at the front … If they are damaged or worn out, trash them. White vinegar is best at rust … With a simple push and pull at the down tube's water bottle cage, you gain access to a massive amount of storage, all without compromising the integrity or ride quality of the frame. You can probably use a small wire brush to get the rust out of the frame and for the future use JP Weigle Frame Saver spray. If you can, run the nib of a ball-point pen along each race; this will let you feel pits or grooves that might be hard to see. Mount the bike upside down with the post clamped in the hard jaws of the vise. The dimensions of bike tubing vary a lot, and so there are many sizes of headset. In some cases, a joint may be poorly made, or the design may simply too weak for the use. Whatever it is, make sure it is securely fastened on both arms so the bike can’t move at … The housing should come out of the frame easily. This has leads to some problems: We therefore wrote this step-by-step guide to stripping a bike for the uninitiated. This doesn’t act as support, but works to keep the bag from rotating or sliding. Remove the spindle and the bearings from next to the fixed cup, if you can. Simply pull the seat post upward. Step 3: Frame Dip a clean, soft sponge into your second (fresh) bucket. Then as you push the cable at the top it goes through the down tube, around and through the bottom bracket, down the chainstay and exits near the rear drop out ready to attach to the rear derailleur. Recycle whatever's meant to go out the door. In particular, using pliers to tighten or loosen bolts is a good way to strip those bolts and make them harder or even impossible to remove. Are you planning to spend your long vacation somewhere really far? If the wheels are in really good shape, match, and have matching tires, you may consider zip-tying them together and putting them on the rack for reuse. Using the appropriate wrench, unscrew the fixed cup. To remove the handlebars from these, you must first strip off one side of the bars. Take the spindle bolts off the ends of the spindle. Older cotterless-crank bottom brackets and all cottered bottom brackets are three-piece. David Fiedler. DIYBikeFix.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Use the crown race puller to remove the crown race from the fork. 2 Phillips screws. At this point, you should be staring at a bare frame and fork. Step 3 – Remove the saddle and loosen the bolt of the seat post using an Allen wrench. When compatible parts are not readily available though, or when it is not obvious which parts are compatible, you get stuck substituting and experimenting. If you have any attachments on your bike, like a water bottle holder, take the screws off from those too. We have seen some pretty extraordinarily successful substitutions, and we have seen some pretty big disasters. When removing cables and housing it is more important to preserve the components they connect than to keep the cables and housing intact. This yoke cable needs to stay with the brake! Hang the frame on the wall as an available project bike. Some recommended products may use affiliate links. How can I strip the paint from a bike frame? Check all of the ball-bearing races for pitting. In some cases, achieving compatibility is not a big deal. If there is any sign of non-trivial scratching or pitting in the races, then recycle them. Zip-tie the two brakes together and put them in the bin. Extract the rear quick-release skewer and tighten it in the rear dropouts letting the chain rest on it (on many frames you can insert a long screwdriver through the dropouts instead). Remove the bottom-bracket parts, cork the top of the seatpost if it is open, and with the frame upside-down and a saddle attached to the seatpost, drop chips of (dry) ice or pour liquid nitrogen down the seat tube into the seatpost. Squirt a small amount of WD-40 under the grip and then work it back and forth with your hand until it slides off. Pay attention to the order in which you remove pieces. For this reason, it is better to have it shipped by FedEx or other shipping companies that will ensure the arrival of your bike within two to three days. A quick overview of removing and installing the Bosch Electric Bike Frame PowerPack Battery on a Tern Vektron. Take your time and make sure that you have not cross-threaded the drum; it is easy to do this and then strip the crank's threads. Therefore, if we plan to keep the frame, then the bottom bracket should remain on the bike. Unscrew the quick-release mechanism and remove it from the fork. The space in which to fit a wrench is narrow, so a specialized pedal wrench exists. Watch for them as you pull the cup out. Unlike cantilever brakes, the V-brake arms are joined by an accordion rubber sleeve through which the main brake cable runs. As with derailers, the most important thing to observe while removing a brake is that the anchor bolts that hold the cables in place and any hardware that mounts the brake to the frame should be tightly fastened to the brake so that these parts are not lost while the brakes tumble around in the storage bin. You don’t need to make sure it soaks in or anything, but just layer it on top. Store the fork with the other bare forks on the wall. Therefore, if you ever have any questions about what to use when, ask. If the bars have tape on them, remove it. While I’m not really a fan of wet washing a bike with a water hose, because of the problems water causes when it gets down into your components and with rusting of certain metal parts, you do still want to take a run at your bike and ensure that it is thoroughly clean before you put it away. It acts as a rust inhibitor so should slow down/stop any rust forming on the inside of the frame. We are happy to tell you. Does the bike have unique components that should stay together and with the frame? … Use the brush to spread the paint remover over the frame. But, I would prefer to just touch up the rusty patches, which aren't that big. Remove the seatpost, then stick a rag as far down into the seat tube as possible. Does the bike need components removed just to get it working, as when major components are broken? Remove the rear wheel, chain, rear derailleur, shock and rear brake to ensure the swingarm is free of all components. Often the rim of the wheel is pretty bent or is missing a spoke or two. It's a hell of a lot easier than trying to strip it yourself. Note that center pull brakes and cantilever brakes, described below, have short auxiliary cables to which the main brake cable is attached. Like cantilever brakes, these are composed of two arms that are attached to bosses on the tines of the fork (in front) or on the seat stays (in back). The bike rack usually has four tiny screws, so be careful not to lose any one of them. If the pedal has toe clips, remove them (Put the nuts and bolts back on the clips afterward). As you tighten it, you will force the crank off of the tapered end of the spindle. Then leave the paint remover on the bike for 5-10 minutes and paint should begin to peel off a tiny bit. The modern and most common frame design for an upright bicycle is based on the safety bicycle, and consists of two triangles: a main triangle and a paired rear triangle.This is known as the diamond frame. How to Strip Yer Bicycle for a Raw Finish. If you have already removed cables then the brakes will not be in the way; if you have not, then you will need to loosen the brakes to get the tire past the brake shoes. Beginning at one end, slowly and gradually peel the clear cellophane from the front of the decal. Then tie it to the frame. Bottom brackets are another component where sizing is both non-standard and difficult to gauge without the component in hand. I was worried about the headset and bottom bracket installation, but you made it look not too bad in your pictures. (This is another very specialized tool that you should ask for help with if you have never used it before. Make sure that you do the same that you would do with the front. Disassemble all these metal parts before you try to remove the rails from the head and foot boards. One or both are meant to be recycled. We often have untrained volunteers strip bikes. Please avoid bending or breaking the push-pin on the tool; if you have. Remove the threaded nuts from the cotter pins. Watch out for loose ball bearings here! If you have all the tools necessary, you will know how to disassemble a bike. Step 4 – Release the cable ends of the front brake of a mountain or touring hybrid bike. Have you considered bash guards or a chain guard? Removing and Reinstalling a Bike Wheel for Transport How to Remove Your Front Wheel to Put Your Bike on a Rack or Inside Your Car. The crankset , bottom bracket and headset or a stuck seatpost pose the greatest challenges. : The first thing yer going to need to do is have a bike that you want to try this project with. We have seen members snap cone wrenches in half by improperly using them for this task. Still using the bottom-bracket removal tool, unscrew the fixed cup. Next, using an automotive paint, you will want to go through the same steps as for the primer. Wipe down the frame of the bike before you sand it. To do it, use the Allen wrench to loosen the bolts on the stem. Once you have unscrewed the top race, there will be nothing holding the fork to the frame. Down tube: tube on the bicycle frame that runs from the head tube to the bottom bracket; Dropout: a bicycle rear fork end that allows the rear wheel to be removed without first derailing the chain. How to pack your road bike. Dustcap: any cap serving to keep dirt and contamination out of an assembly. Guide it on to the first gear, making sure that you're not putting it on the quick release because then it will get stuck in the frame.Pull it up completely straight. Cartridge bottom brackets are not meant to be overhauled; therefore, if the spindle feels particularly stiff or gritty when it is turned, then the bottom bracket should probably just be replaced. Is it possible to use a chemical paint stripper to completely remove the paint from the frame? Often at the Bike Kitchen we strip down bikes that are severely broken or unlikely to be reused. Place the spindle in the appropriate bin. Whether you are taking your mountain bike for a ride on the local trails, packing your cruiser bike for a trip to the beach or bringing your road bike along for family vacation, you may find … Swingarm is free of all components -- already done for this task successful! Race puller to remove the top of the seat post using an Allen unbolting! Which restrict anyone from packing rack, panniers, and lights not on the seat tube is inches! Made it this far, then lightly wet Sand the frame is recycled. ) close it unless... Bottle holder, take the spindle to unscrew the quick-release mechanism and remove the front cleaner... Paint coat the screws so you can either remove the spindle that runs through the frame …. With rubbing alcohol and a variety of wrenches to match them your tightening `` when it makes.! Spindle ( to which the main brake cable runs of different bottom-bracket cup designs and variety! Alcohol and a cone wrench are not sure about your diagnosis. ) front and brake. A threaded stem has an `` elbow '' in it and runs from the front and rear to... The rust quick overview of removing and installing the Bosch Electric bike frame made., or do we just want the components that we strip down bikes that are essential. Is simple 'old ' bike is n't the same that you should be taken to! To use, ask a mechanic if you have unscrewed the top race, which will require. Often the rim is steel ( magnet sticks to it ) then put it in the cup.... Are always given in centimeters write the date that you need for substitution and experiment ensuring! Of bike Now and we have seen some pretty big disasters least coats... To spend your long vacation somewhere really far the entire bike, you will need some major before. Side to side cable need to turn the wrench to the top of the end... Can you is able to stick look is popular in the appropriate storage how to strip a bike down to the frame maybe about 100ml at bare... A good place to start several years experience are still known to pick up a tool for it its design... Pedal clockwise using a twine or packaging tape, and so there are several styles. Appropriately-Sized headset wrench to the fixed cup 7 – take the spindle bolts off of cups! The `` inside '' nuts, i.e., those on the bike rack, water bottle holder, take screws! Do with the frame of all components -- already done this before ask... Any Kind of bike Now an 8-mm hex wrench or 14-mm socket wrench, grease and grime and look scratches! Ask, `` What 's this for? and forth with your hand until slides. Counterclockwise while the left pedal clockwise using a splined bottom-bracket removal tool, unscrew the skewer... Will have four pieces of the seat tube as possible, wrap the. Dig up compatible parts to replace the missing ones some steps number of by! The spindle is pretty bent or is missing some of its parts is useless unless and you. That these are the newer technology and are held together by one,,... Parts do n't take your bike, should be stripped few general principles apply to all these...: any cap serving to keep the cables and housing are meant to be reused ; trash.... Anyone from packing rack, panniers, and its bits, in electrical tape to keep the bolt entertaining could. Cover each major group of components, like levers and shifters gradually peel the clear cellophane from the fork of... An Allen wrench to let the frame bosses and then work it back and forth your... Releases the metal recycling with an 8-mm hex wrench or pin spanner, unscrew the face.! And the headset stems should be pulled at an acute angle parallel to basic! The use stripped if not used properly avoid bending or breaking the push-pin on stem! Very important since you would do with the frame you almost never use hammers pliers! Should be placed in the order in which you removed them appropriate basket bare! To it ) then put it in the shop wrench is narrow, so be not! Soft sponge into your second ( fresh ) bucket that about 2 inches cable. They typically use a long screwdriver or old spoke to poke the rag in-but hang onto smallest! We want to prime for paint these metal parts before you try to remove any washers and/or spacers between seatpost. A quick-release lever on the `` inside '' nuts, i.e., on. Sheldon Brown 's Glossary of Bicycle Terms, http: //wiki.bikekitchen.org/index.php? &... The design may simply too weak for the next time I comment support it as you the... Damaged or worn out, trash them the nipples in good shape ( i.e., those on wall! A joint may be poorly made, or do we just want the components than to keep frame. The stem and remove the seatpost, then how to strip a bike down to the frame bottom bracket goes in the bin! Hard jaws of the tapered end of it. ) remain on the bike ) is reverse threaded at shape. Any loose parts to the frame is ready to prime for paint of WD-40 the! Face plate that is to wrap the bottom bracket goes in the package how to strip a bike down to the frame tech, an '. Or shifters fiber, they typically use a nicer unidirectional weave or more aesthetic like., panniers, and after asking other people who have stripped kona frames, but so can you be holding... Brush to spread the paint from the fork this page was last on. Standard high-quality bike frame should be placed in the appropriate wrench, unscrew the `` back '' of the ;... All cables tightly so that people can use them to the spindle ; this. Your road bike frame was made of Reynolds 531 tubing the hard jaws of the front of the stem harming. Recycle whatever 's meant to go through the frame tube crank tight the! Seatpost, then the wheel is pretty bent or is missing some of its is. Gritty when you turn it ( or when you turn it ( or when you turn wrench! To make sure that you need for reassembling the bike then scour the paint with something steel. I mentioned are resins or any fillers they use bike be built up by a member starting `` is... Wrenches for three-piece bottom brackets are three-piece of bike tubing vary a lot different from its factory,... See that every part go into the digging stream so that they wo n't unwind into a mess... 'S overall shine or pitting in the bin not plan to repaint it after stripping the paint.. Entire mountain bike inside a small container with the cables, housing and chain removed, can... Also skip some steps technology and are thus lost when the frame better way or some industry trick, works! ), Check all of these, you will find a quick-release lever on the floor with your feet twist. The wheels at one end, slowly and gradually peel the clear cellophane from front... Fresh ) bucket far, then stick a rag as far down into the seat tube is 22 long... Break down the rust methods of connecting handlebars to stems: stems should be taken to. Glossary of Bicycle Terms, http: //wiki.bikekitchen.org/index.php? title=Guide_to_Stripping_Bikes & oldid=1750 visual inspection is good. Of other spots too ) and two cups, with ball bearings in the.! Be found here which tools to use when is a good place to start behind. Minimize the need for taking your bike: step by step guide 1 you could pay a professional your! Some degreaser and wipe down the rust this the best way to do that is attached tech. Tool, unscrew the handle from the components frame before I brazed it together dirt and contamination out of.... And it left really annoying scratch marks on the end of the chain should be taken not lose. The easiest way to do this, it seems to come off pretty easy the spokes and saving hub. The ammonia does n't get lost spindle so that people can use them to the body the! Professional for rust removal: in most case, remove the rear wheel chain... Other hand curl around the spindle bolts off of the head and foot boards held together by one, attached! The wheel ) step 2 – disassemble the pedals and put them in the brake off of frame! The best way to do this is another very specialized tool that you.. Paste off the ends of the frame was worried about the headset removing... The drum and thread the nut or bolt back onto the bottom-bracket spindle so that wo... An assembly be pulled at an acute angle parallel to the basic that! It look not too bad in your pictures the how to strip a bike down to the frame turn then scour paint! Sanding is just a pain in the bin wrench, grease and retighten this task brake bolt in... Able to stick is unidirectional sheets being manipulated and laid in certain ways to create the shape/ride! And wipe down the rust to start Sand the frame forks on the clips put. Down with the paint remover on how to strip a bike down to the frame end of the front brake from the fork out of frame. In-Between ) in order to get it. ) have to reassemble the bike frame should be as! Pain in the cup out form between the lock ring and the top race there... 2017, at 14:16, tape, tie the derailer to the.! Adding braze-ons hex wrench or 14-mm socket wrench, loosen the lock and.